The XFiles: Snow Blind
by Ziggurat Rolsovitch
Summary: Agents Mulder and Scully investigate a case in Lost Lake after several murders. Mulder's Theory? The work of something supernatural. Scully's Theory the work of a gruesome killer. Will the agents stop this killer? Or will this case prove to be their end?
1. Chapter 1

Disclamier: I do not own this, but you already know that.

Well... I know I said I wasn't going to write any more X-Files, but I found this buryied deep in my files in a box and decided... ah... what the heck?

So... here this is. It's dedicated to all the people I love.  
>First to my mom, because we all know I wouldn't be here without her. And dad.<br>And my onii-sama (brother) Cole, of course, who is always sticking by me.  
>My sister-in-law Stacey who is just the coolest sister-in-law anybody could ask for!<br>My sister Elissa that has supported me since I started writing.  
>My sister Shanna of course, because I started posting stories at her place when she kindly let me use her internet.<br>And finally my big brother Justin who is no longer in my life and who I miss very much.

XxXxX

"The ice is good!" Nick yelled from above them. Scully caught the grin on her partner's face.

"Mulder," she said annoyed. "before you suggest ladies first… Remember I said you first, first."

"Scully… I was never going to suggest that, but since you volunteered…" she glared at him. "Don't worry I'm going up first. It was my idea." she could tell by the tone of his voice he didn't think this was a good idea either.

She watched her partner stick his ice ax into the ice and press his boot into the ice and start to climb.  
>This is a bad idea. She thought as she followed Mulder.<p>

"Very good! You are almost there. Keep coming comrades." Nick said. Then the ice that Scully had hit had shattered and she was falling. Mulder slid down and caught her hand and quickly caught his ice ax in the ice once he was sure he had her.

"Got ya'." He said looking down at his partner.

She looked up and met his eyes in a silent 'thanks' then looked down again. It was a long way down and Scully couldn't see the bottom through the tick mountain fog. There was a sharp cracking sound and Mulder gasped and looked up at where he'd stuck his ice ax and saw the ice was cracking. He had to think fast. The ice broke and they were falling again. Mulder hoped that Nick had secured the cable line, but the most likely thought was he hadn't.

"Agents!" Nick yelled, but got no reply. Nick turned to face the other two men that were with him. They had horrified looks on their faces. "Quickly! We must do something!"

One week earlier…

Washington DC.  
>J, Edgar Hover FBI building.<br>9:47 AM.

Special Agent Dana Scully walked into her partner's office. She wasn't surprised to find the small space Fox Mulder resided in was a complete and total mess. News papers littered the desk and walls, some on the floor too. A few scraps of metal on the shelves that Mulder 'believed' to be part of an alien space ship. Which they often argued about. Mulder was sitting at his desk going over a file. Sleeves rolled up, tie lose. Yup, that was Mulder. He looked over the top of it at her then jumped up out of his chair and grabbed a slide off the desk.

"Scully, glad you're here. Listen we've got a new case." he put the slide into the projector and moved it onto the wall. "See this case is real bizarre."

"When are they not?"

"That's how I like it. Now, violent crimes _was_ working this, but it got a little too weird for their taste and they sent it down here."

"They aren't going to be a bunch of slides with dead cows again are there? I've seen one to many of them."

"Sorry, Scully. I know how much you love them, but not this time." the projector turned on and there was a bloodied man cut to little bits. "So what can you tell me from your medical opinion, doc?"

"Umm… well. From what I can see here is the man who-"

"Assuming it is a man." Mulder interrupted and she stared at him with a cold look.

"The _man_ who did it knows what he's doing. Maybe a medical doctor or someone in that field of work. There are medical incisions… so I'm assuming he used a scalpel with most of it."

"Fascinating… want to hear my theory?" Mulder asked as he walked over to sit at his desk. She raised an eyebrow in her famous 'Scully the skeptic' look.

"I don't know. Do I?"

"Ohh Scully do you ever. All the victims apparently had snow blindness. Which means they'd been out in the snow for a long time right? Wrong. Want to hear where I think snow blindness really comes from?"  
>"Let me guess… something to do with abduction."<p>

"Right. I think that it comes from when the ship gets in close to the ice and the light reflects off the snow and-" He paused and stared at his partner. She had her hand over her mouth hiding the smile. "You're laughing at me. Why? What's so funny?"

"Nothing… just… it's so… like… you."

"Wha… what do you mean? Wha…. Spooky me?"

"No. Not at all. Just… you." Mulder stared at her with his head slightly tilted to the side for a minute before continuing.

"Umm… ok. So like I said… that it causes as we call 'snow blindness' is actually their way of keeping us from seeing them out there in the mighty artic. Plus they found this." Mulder said and picked up a greenish blue marble ball and handed it to her. "Would you care to tell me what _you_ think it is, Agent Scully?" she took it and touched the smooth surface of it.

"It's marble, but… it's warm. Did you leave it under the light on your desk or something?"

"No. that's just it. It's always warm. Even after they dug it out of two feet of ice and it isn't marble. It resembles it, but the compounds it's made up of are no where near what marble is made of. Frankly I've got no idea what it's made of, but I do know one thing. It isn't from earth. Pack your snow boots, Scully. We're going to Lost Lake, Oregon." he said getting up and grabbing his coat.

"Wha… well, Mulder… wha…"

"Come on Scully!" he called as he walked out the door. She sighed and followed slowly.

"Here we go again."

XxXxX

TBC...

Alrighty... let me know what you think.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own!

XxXxX 

They'd just gotten a car from the air port and were on there way to Lost Lake. It was the usual car ride. Mulder chewing sunflower seeds while Scully went over the report. She noticed something in the report.

"Mulder… why do I get the felling you're leaving something out…"

"Scully when have you ever known me to leave something out?"

"On occasion."

"I never have." he said and couldn't hid his amused grin as he turned onto the rode that led into town. It was extremely cold out as they exited the car and walked to the sheriff's office. Once inside the Deputy stood up.

"You're Agents Mulder and Scully?" The young shaky Deputy asked.

"Yeah. Is Sheriff Crawly in?"

"Yes, Sir. Right this way, sir." The Deputy said and they followed him to a door where he knocked. "He'll be out in just a moment." With that the Deputy left back down the hallway to his desk.  
>The door opened and a rather big man stared at them. He was taller then Mulder even and more bulky with a thick mustache and a cigar in his hand.<p>

"Can I help you?" The man asked.

"You're Sheriff Crawly?"

"Yes, sir. You two the FBI Agents?"

"That's us."

"Ya'll come on into my office then." They followed the sheriff as he closed the door behind them then went to a filing cabinet and pulled a thick file, slapping it down on the desk for the Agents to read. "Now… I don't know what to make of all this. That's why I'm assuming they called you two in."

"Yes, it is." Mulder said.

"I though the VCU was handling it." Sheriff Crawly said confused.

"Not anymore. We've been assigned to it now."

"X-Files. What is that?" Scully glanced up from the gory pictures in the file she was reading to Mulder and the Sheriff discussing the X-Files.

"Well… it's cases that have unexplained happenings. It's our job to figure it out what exactly it is that's happening."

"Hmm. Un-huh. Well… I sure hope you can stop these people from being murdered Agent Mulder. I know some of these kids. Last boy that was killed was only seventeen."

"We'll do our best, Sheriff."

"Good. Good. I sure hope you find somethin'." Sheriff Crawly said his gaze flicked to Scully for a second before he went back to staring at Mulder.  
>They thanked the Sheriff for his help and walked out of the office. Once they were around the corner Mulder stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.<p>

"Did you see that, Scully?"

"Yeah, I did. He seemed nervous. Do you think we should suspect him?"

"Maybe, maybe not." He said. "Let's just get to the hotel and go over the file."

XxXxX

It was extremely late by the time Mulder had actually _found _the hotel. She had told her partner to ask for directions, but he was a man. He wouldn't have it. He just kept insisting he knew where he was going.  
>She sighed in relief as she opened the door to her room.<p>

"Hey, at least I found it, okay." he said.

"I know."

"I'll meet you in your room in twenty minutes. I want to take a shower first."

"Yeah, so do I. make it thirty."

"Women." He scoffed. Then he quickly ducked inside his room when she gave him a death look.  
>It'd been about thirty minutes and as if on cue she heard a knock at the door.<p>

"It's open." She said and her partner came in, in a pair of navy blue sweat pants and a dark gray T-shirt. His hair still looked slightly wet from his shower. And he complained to her that she took to long getting cleaned up.  
>He pulled a chair up to the table she was sitting at going over the file.<p>

"So… have you found anything? Any ideas?"

"Well… I do think we're dealing with someone who knows his-"

"Or _it's_." Mulder cut in.

"Who knows _his _way around a scalpel and a bone saw," She saw her partner wince. "So I would assume he is a doctor of some sort."

"Uh-huh. So… you think it's a person."

"You don't?" She asked skeptically and raised an eyebrow at him. He laughed and then looked down at his hands on the table.

"Scully," He said still smiling. "I honestly don't think it's a person. I mean… think about it. Th-the amount of people that have been killed is just too many for one serial killer to murder in a just one week."

"Wha… Mulder I honestly hope you're not going to tell me its aliens."

"Oh, no. I don't think it's that at all."

"Then what do you think it is?" She asked. And when she didn't get an answer she was very suspicious. "Mulder-" She was cut off by the phone ringing. Mulder quickly answered it and his smile faded.

"What? When? Alright. We'll be right there."

"What? What is it?" She asked as he partner stood up.

"Get dressed, Scully. We've got another murder." He said and went to his room to get ready. She was in shock. Another murder already? Her partner was right. It didn't make sense, but she didn't believe it was aliens.

XxXxX

She got in the passengers side as Mulder drove.

"You never answered my question, Mulder." She said.

"Sheriff Crawly said that they found the body out by the old baseball field."

"You're changing the subject. What are you hiding?"

"I'm not hiding anything."

"Then you're leaving something out again."

"No, I'm not. Let's focus." He said as they pulled up to the crime scene. The sheriff met them at the edge of the field, his hat in his hands.

"I-I… I knew this woman." He stuttered. "It's Angie Beehag. She was a good person. Why would anyone want to kill her?"

"I'm sorry for your lose Sheriff." Mulder said as Scully made her way to see the body under the blue tarp. She piled back the edge of the tarp and covered her mouth and nose against the smell. Mulder went off to scout the area while Sheriff Crawly came over to see if he could assist her.

"Anything I can do to help?"

"Sheriff, do you have any wild animals around here? This doesn't look like a normal killing."

"Hell, Agent Scully. We've got plenty of those. Are you saying this is the work of an animal attack?"

"It could be. This looks different from your other killings. I think it may have been."

"Sheriff!" She heard her partner yell. They both got up and ran to where they'd hear him then stopped right behind Mulder as he stood frozen to his spot. Another body was lying there in the snow, face down. "Looks like you've got another victim." He commented. He felt bad for whoever this dead person was, but he had to continue his search for clues.

A few feet from the body he caught the glint of something in the sun and then kneeled. He snapped on a glove and picked it up. It was a scalpel covered in blood.

"Hey, Scully!" he called and heard her come up behind him.

"You found something?" She asked. He nodded and slid it into an evidence bag then handed it to her. He was still kneeling scanning the area. "Right. I'm going to go with the Sheriff to the morgue and get the autopsy done."

"Alright." He said then stood up. "I'm going to interview Mr. Beehag. I'll meet you back at the hotel."

XxXxX

TBC...


	3. Chapter 3

Disclamier: Nope. Uh-uh. I don't own this.

XxXxX 

Scully was working on the autopsy with the Deputy behind her. She could hear his nervousness.

"A-agent S-scully?"

"What is it?"

"Y-you don't think it could be a real live serial killer do you?"

"I afraid it is as it appears, Deputy Haskew."

"So do you think we'll catch him?"

"That's what we're here for." She assured the fearful Deputy.

"That's good. So… what's it like to be in the FBI?" He asked.

"If you don't mind… I'm trying to finish the autopsy."

"Sorry. Maybe you could tell me later… over lunch?"

She paused in her work and turned towards the Deputy, who stood nervously with his hat in his hands. She couldn't believe this guy. For one he was way too young for her and second she was trying to work.

"Deputy Haskew…. I'm here strictly on business."

"Oh… sorry again."

She was able to continue her autopsy when the Deputy got sick and ran out. She thanked God for that. He was getting on her nerves. The first body was a nightmare to autopsy, but she got it done, but Angie Beehag had been killed by an animal. Their were claw marks all over her body. The other body had been Her daughter. And who on the other hand _had _been murdered.

The strange thing was that she was dosed up on drugs. And lots of them. As had most of the others that had been killed. She suspected the kids had been doing drugs and the killer took advantage of the opportunity.  
>She was going to have to inform Mulder of this.<p>

Beehag residence, 4:34 Am.

Mulder knocked at the door and a small man answered it, in nothing, but a green robe.

"Mr. Beehag?"

"Yes, that's me. What do you want?"

"Sir, I know it's late, but… we found your wife."

"You found Angie? Thank God! I was so worried. Where is she?"

"That's the thing. Maybe you should sit down." By the time the man had sat down and Mulder had told him the bad news he was in shock.

"I-I… I don't believe this. My wife and daughter? Dead? It seems like just yesterday we were having a nice dinner together. How did it happen?"

"We believe they were murdered."

"Murdered? My God…" Mulder's phone went off and he pulled it from his coat.

"Excuse me." he said and stood up to walk to the other side of the room where he couldn't be heard. "Mulder." He answered.

"Mulder, it's me."

"Scully? What did you find?"

"Angie wasn't murdered. It appears she was mauled by an animal. So much for your alien theory."

"Yeah…" He said absently. "What about the daughter."

"She was murdered. And apparently she had been on drugs. I think the killer may have taken advantage of that."

"Maybe. Did you find any prints on the scalpel?"

"No. no luck. He must have worn gloves."

"Right. I'll finish up here and meet you back at the hotel."

"Alright." He hung up the phone then looked towards Mr. Beehag who appeared to be crying. He hated this part of the job, but he had no choice.

"Mr. Beehag… did you know of your daughter having a drug addiction?"

"Drugs? No… that's impossible. She had to go through a test at the school just a few days ago. It's impossible. She's never done drugs in her life."

"Thank you for your help. I'm sorry for you lose." He said.

Scully had just gotten back to her room when she heard the knock on the door. She opened it to her partner.

"Hey. You've got the report?" Mulder asked.

"Yeah." She said and handed the file to him. He looked over it and sighed.

"This doesn't make sense…"

"Nothing makes any sense anymore." She said as she took the papers he offered back to her. "What did the husband have to say?"

"He had no clue they had been killed."

"Did he seem capable of being a suspect?"

"Not at all. I think we've hit a brick wall. We're both tired. Lets get some rest then we'll talk about this in the morning."

"Alright." She said, knowing full well how tired he was and that he had trouble sleeping. Especially when they had a case. She watched him retreat to his room and close the door behind him softly.

XxXxX

It was late at night. Scully found she couldn't sleep again. She did hear the T.V playing softly in the other room. The occasional scream of a damsel in distress in an old black and white film probable being eaten by some sort of mutant or giant ant. Then something that startled her. The sound of glass breaking. She didn't know if her partner was in trouble or not. She got up quickly and knocked on the adjoining door before she opened it. Luckily there was no trouble, but he was sitting on the edge of the bed staring at a place on the carpet. She could see the glinting of glass on the floor thanks to the light of the ever changing T.V.

"Mulder, are you alright?"

"Yeah."

"What happened?"

"An accident." He sighed and continued to stare at the glass in the bay colored carpet.

"Another dream?" She asked and he nodded. "I'll leave you alone then." She said and went to the door.

"Goodnight." He said absently.

"Goodnight." She told him before leaving. She knew he probable wanted to be alone. In fact she was sure that was what he wanted.  
>First thing the next morning He heard the knock on the door and got up to answer it. He opened it to the sheriff.<p>

"Agent Mulder, there's been another murder."

"The same as the others?"

"Same as the others." The sheriff confirmed.

"We'll be there in Thirty minutes." Mulder said firmly as he closed the door as he went to get his partner.

XxXxX

They arrived at the crime scene and just as the sheriff had said it was the same as the others. As they approached and saw the body it was clear to Scully this was not the work of Mulder's aliens.

"This is the fifth murder this week. I'm begging to think we got ourselves a big time serial killer here." Sheriff Crawly said as he walked past them to the body.

"Still think it's aliens, Mulder?" Scully asked. She noticed his gaze drifting toward the dense tree line.

"That's possible too." He answered as he walked towards the woods.

"Wait… you _don't _think it's aliens?" She asked and he looked down at her.

"Scu-"

"Okay Agents," Sheriff Crawly interrupted. "I got good news and bad news. Good news, we got ourselves a witness. Bad news, he says it was a monster that attacked our boy here."

"A monster? What did he say it looked like?" Mulder asked.

"He didn't. just said he saw a monster." The sheriff shrugged.

"Can I talk to him?"

The sheriff sighed loudly then looked back behind him before he shrugged again and dropped his shoulder.

"Sure. Lets go talk to monster boy."

They walked over to the big red pickup truck and saw the man sitting on the tail gate with a blanket around his shoulders and a cup of hot coffee in his hand. He was a short man and balding, with sort of a pot belly.

"Mr. Stiles?" Mulder asked.

"Yes?" Mr. Stiles asked as he turned to the big agent.

"I'm Special Agent Mulder with the FBI." He removed his badge from the inside of his jacket. "Can I ask you a few questions?"

"Why do you need to? That cop already did." Mr. Stiles said immediately defensive.

"No, no, no. I just want to ask you about what you saw."

"Why? So you can call me crazy? So you can have someone to blame for all the murders in town? I don't think so!"

"Sir," Scully cut in to save her speechless partner. "What Agent Mulder is trying to say is that we want to ask you a few questions so we can try and clear you of being a suspect."

"Well… okay. What do you want to ask?"  
>Mulder immediately pulled out a picture from his coat and Scully shot him a look asking him what it was. He gave her a glance that said wait.<p>

"Mr. Stiles, did it look like this?"

"My God! That's the beast. It the thing I saw! The yeti man. So I'm not crazy? There are such things?"

"Yes, sir." Mulder said.

"You believe me?" Mr. Stiles asked amazed.

"Of course. Do you know where you last saw it headed?"

"Well, yeah. Up towards ol' man Crichton's place. But its all off limits of course. No one's allowed up there."

"Yeah… uh-huh. Thanks for the help Mr. Stiles." Mulder said and began to walk off. Scully quickly stepped up behind in his trail.

"Mulder…" She said shortly. "You are not going up there."

"Of course not, Scully." He said and got into the car. She got in the passengers seat.

"So were here going after a yeti?"

"Yeti _Man_." He corrected.

"Why didn't you just tell me this from the start?"

"Because I knew you wouldn't come with me."

"You've got that part right." She muttered to herself in annoyance.

"Come on. I have files dating back to nineteen forty four. Reports of yeti attacks all around here, but they stopped a few years back, now all of a sudden here they are again. Same place. Same time of the year."

"Come on, Mulder. There is no way.  
>I'll admit there is something strange going on here, but to assume it's some metical yeti is about as far out there as anything I've ever heard from you." She said and watched the sly grin he had, but then changed and he slammed the breaks. "Mulder!"<p>

"Did you see that?"

"See what?" He got out of the car without answering her. "Mulder… what?" They had only driven a few feet and as she got out she noticed the sheriff looking at them weird. She sighed and decided to wait.

Mulder quickly jogged out down the path into the dense tree line. He couldn't be sure, but he though he saw something. He was sure he saw something. He breath fogged up as he exhaled.  
>The low growl behind him made him freeze. He breathed slowly before he pulled his gun and turned and fired, but he didn't know if he'd hit it because he just saw the flash of something white hit him in the side of the head and he hit the ground, feeling his vision blur and fade into dark.<p>

XxXxX

TBC...


	4. Chapter 4

Disclamier: I do not own this, but you already know that.

XxXxX 

Scully sighed as she waited for her partner, but when she heard the gunshot she looked up quickly and then drew her gun and took off towards the sound. The sheriff and a few men were way ahead of her as they drew their weapons and took off quickly.  
>She saw her partner there on the ground unconscious and heard a few officers shooting out into the distance.<p>

"What was that?" She asked.

"They saw a bear. It must have gotten to your partner."

"Mulder? Mulder?" He heard his partner's concerned voice and looked up.

"Scully?" He asked before it faded into darkness again.

XxXxX

Next thing he knew he was waking up in his room and Scully was sitting in the chair at the small table reading a report from the sheriff. She looked up at him when she noticed he was awake.

"How are you feeling?" She asked as she set the file down on the table and watched him sit up.

"I've got one mother of a headache."

"I would think so." She said. He smiled meekly and shrugged. The phone went off right next to him on the night stand and he grasped the side of his head with one hand and winced. He held his hand out when she got up to get it. He waited a second then answered it.

"Mulder." He answered and watched her go back to the table. "Uh-huh… alright. We'll be right there."

"What's up?"

"That was sheriff Crawly. They've got a suspect." Mulder said and then got up, grabbing his coat from the chair by the bed. "They've got him in custody right now. Guess who."

"Who?"

"Mr. Stiles."

"Him? They can't be serious."

"Apparently they are." He said as he opened the door and waited for her to get her coat on before they walked out to the car.

"I have a feeling this is going to be a long day."

"Don't doubt it." Her partner answered.

XxXxX

Sheriff's office

"This is crazy! I knew it. I knew you would blame me." Mr. Stiles complained from his chair across the table from the Agents.

"Look we just need to know where you were when the murders happened."

"I was at home with my pet bird. Like I am every Sunday night."

"Okay… do you have anyone to confirm that's where you were." Mulder said. Mr. Stiles leaned forward in his seat with his forearms on the table.

"Ask my bird." He said then leaned back in his chair again. "I'm not saying anymore until I see my lawyer."  
>Non-the-less there was a knock on the glass window at the door and Mulder saw a man in a suit with the sheriff. He moved away from the wall he was leaning against and opened it.<p>

"Agent Mulder," The sheriff sighed. "This is Mr. Stiles lawyer, Al Spruance." He looked at the six foot, bald man in a very expensive gray suit.

"Mr. Spruance." Mulder said in greeting. The man only set his mouth in a thin line and glared at him.

"Agent Mulder. I'm sure you know you have no authority to question my client without me being here?"

"I'm well aware of that."

"Then why are you questioning him now?"

"Because you weren't here to ask me stupid question like that." He commented with an inward grin.

"Mulder!" His partner scolded. The lawyer seemed to take amusement in it. He twisted his jaw then backed up slightly next to his partner. The unhappy lawyer walked in next to his client.

"You really should keep him in line better." He said to Scully clearly, she noticed Mulder react quickly, but under the table she gripped his arm and his gaze shot quickly to her then back to the man. He breathed in annoyance. He desperately wanted to punch this guy. "Now… really… do you think my client is capable of this? Do you honestly think that?"

"No. this is a simple questioning. We don't think that at all." Mulder said as calmly as possible at the moment.

"Then you've no reason to hold him." And with that Mr. Spruance and Mr. Stiles got up and walked out of the room. Mulder gritted his teeth and then waited for his partner to stand and they were out the door quickly. Sherriff Crawly was waiting there.

"This is bullshit! He knows somethin'." The Sheriff said.

"I'll have to agree with you there." Mulder said.

They got back to the hotel and Mulder threw his coat onto the bed and grabbed the file Scully left on the table in his room.

"This doesn't make sense." He said. "Yetis usually only kill people to protect themselves. Not for food."

"You're kidding right?"

"Un-uh. Something weird is going on here."

"Mulder, the last two victims were shot." She said.

"So?"

"So you're saying a yeti shot them? What. Did he walk into town and buy a gun?" She asked. "I don't know about you, Mulder, but I don't know any yetis with gun cards."

"No… I think there's a killer too. Maybe he's using the yeti as a distraction."

"Look… I don't have time to argue with you tonight about a yeti. It's late and we'll need an early start in the morning if we want to catch this guy."

"Yeti." He muttered. She heard him, but didn't comment.

"Goodnight, Mulder." She said as she closed the adjoining door to her room behind her.

XxXxX

He woke to the loud crack of thunder and jumped up. It was early morning and it was like a hurricane outside. He heard a knock at the door.

"Come in." He said and watched his partner walk in.

"I don't think we're going anywhere, Mulder. Look at it. You can't see two feet in front of you."

"I know," He said. "We'll have to wait for it to calm down… guess we won't have that head start."

"Guess not."

"What do you want to do now?"

"I don't know."

"Want to play some cards to pass the time?"

"Mulder… we don't have cards."

"Oh, yes we do." He opened his bag at the foot of the bed and pulled out an unopened pack of cards.

"Why do you have cards in your bag?" She asked and watched his slow grin.

"I guess… you could say… I saved them for a rainy day."

"Funny."

"Hey, Scully… want to play some strip poker?" He asked with an amused grin.

"Nice try, but I don't think so." She said still irritated they couldn't get out there. The phone rang and Mulder quickly went to pick it up. He got a weird look on his face then hung up. "Mulder? Who was it?"

"Don't know. Must have been cut off by the storm. He looked out as the hail began to crack against the windows. About ten minutes later there was a knock at the door and he opened it surprised to see the sheriff.

"Agents, we've got another murder."

"Alright." He said and closed the door as the sheriff ran back to his jeep. "Well… storm or no storm looks like we're going out."

"Lets just try and hurry."

Things were getting very out of hand. Another murder and they were getting closer and closer rather then father apart. The killer was escalating and Mulder knew he was going to have to begin a profile, but he still believed there was a yeti out there somewhere.  
>It'd stopped raining now and it had begun to snow instead. Mulder decided to take a detour.<p>

"Where are we going Mulder?"

"You'll see."

XxXxX

The car pulled up to an old abandon house and Mulder got out and headed up the old stone sidewalk.  
>"I don't know about, this Mulder." She cautioned as she got out behind him. She looked over the old house that was all boarded up. The paint was faded, the shutters were falling off, the front door was hanging off it hinges and the roof was caving in on itself. The house was a death trap.<p>

"Hey, Scully… think we'll see any ghosts?" He asked as they approached the house. She noticed the steps to the porch were all broken, but her partner just climbed up it anyway.

"I don't think this is such a good idea."

"What? You're not scared are you? And uh… I thought logically there is no such thing as ghosts?"

"No, I'm not scared of ghosts. I'm scared of the house falling in and crushing us."

"Okay… have fun out here." He said and went inside as he drew his flashlight from his coat.  
>She sighed and decided she better go to make sure he didn't get himself hurt again. She paused in the doorway.<p>

"Mulder?"

"Hold on." She heard him say from upstairs. He came down slowly, just about tripped, but made it down. "Upstairs is clear."

"Good. Lets get out of here now."

"No, way. I haven't checked the basement, yet."

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me." His answer was to opened the door that led to the basement. He stepped on the first step making a loud creaking sound. She set her hand on his shoulder, but he brushed it off and went down, she had no choice, but to follow him.  
>It was dark so once she had gotten to the last step she ran right into his back.<p>

"Mulder." She scolded. "What?"

"Looks like we found our killer's hide out." Mulder motioned to the table where his light shined. She stepped around him and investigated the table. Lots of medical scalpels and other sorts of thing that he didn't know what they were for.

"You're right, Mulder." She said.

A shadow at the tip of the stairs growled then and slammed the door on them, locking it. They could rot down there for all he cared. They deserved it for ruining his nice house.

The second they heard the door slam they looked up.

"Damn." He swore and quickly headed up the stairs. It was no use, the door was locked. "He knows now." He said as he slowly walked down the stairs.

"We need to get out of here and get the sheriff."

"Yeah, but I'm not sure how. There are no windows." He set the flashlight on the table and picked up a board.

"Can you use that on the door?"

"No."

"You sure?" She asked. He looked up at her and took the board and snapped it in half.

"I'm pretty sure." He answered and looked around again. "We need something stronger." The flashlight flickered and almost went out.

"Please tell me your flashlight has fresh batteries in it."

"Yeah."

"Mulder if that flashlight go out now I'm going to have to hurt you."

"What's the matter? Are you afraid of the dark?"

"No."

"I am too."

"You are not."

"No. Really. I didn't even tell you about the bat."

"What bat?"

"When Sam and I were little my dad use to tell us scary stories before we went to bed."

"Now I know where you get it from."

"Very funny." He said. "It was a scary story about a giant bat that would come in during storms and hide on the ceiling and when we fell asleep he said it would come down and get us."

"Great. So do I have to worry about giant bats now?" She asked sarcastically.

"Oh, no. don't worry. I got it with my tennis racket."

"Okay… first a Yeti man, now a giant bat. What next? The lizard man?"

"Hey… don't even joke about the lizard man, Scully." He grinned. "Oh, hey… bingo." He said and picked up a tire iron.

"I trust you're man enough to know how to work that thing?" She asked. He paused and stared at her.

"Scully, why do you hurt me?"

"Mulder. Door." She said he sighed and walked up the steps. Five minutes later the door was opened and they were headed to the sheriff's office.

"Okay… we really need to find out what's going on here. We'll get the sheriff then see if we can find who lived in that house previously."

"Agents." The sheriff said when he saw them. "We've got a warrant for Mr. Stiles."

"Yeah… maybe now I can ask him something that's really bugging me."

"That is if that fancy lawyer of his will let us." Sheriff Crawly said. "I'll see if I can keep that SOB busy. You just talk to the man."

Two officers walked down the hall with Mr. Stiles in handcuffs and set him in the chair in the interrogation room.

"Mr. Stiles. Nice to see you again." Mulder said and set his hands on the cold table. "I need to ask you some things. You're not in any trouble I assure you."

"I'm not talking until I see my lawyer."

"I understand that, but unless you talk to me we can't find this killer. I think you know more then you're saying."

"Look, Agent Muleder. I don't know anything. I told you I saw a monster. That's all I know."  
>The door burst open and the lawyer walked in. Mulder sighed as he knew it was up.<p>

"Mr. Stiles, please answer me." He begged.

"Well… I did see-"

"That's enough Mr. Stiles." The lawyer said quickly. "You don't have to answer these ridiculous questions."

"Mr. Stiles, please answer the question!"

"Is obscured. Officer uncuffed my client we are leaving."  
>Mulder sighed again and gritted his teeth against any snide comment he might <em>accidentally <em>let slip. Scully walked in after Mr. Stiles and his lawyer had left.

"He knows something, Scully."

"Well… even if he does, we can't ask because of his overprotective lawyer."

"I don't know… he's making it seem like Mr. Stiles is guilty, but I don't think he is."

"We can't do anything if we don't have any leads."

"I know…" He sighed again and sat down and buried his face in his hands.

"Come on, Mulder." She said. She watched him get up slowly. They walked out into the officer filled hall and as they walked he stopped and stared at a huge man that was complaining to Deputy Haskew.

"No, John! I had a right to tow that damn car and you know it!"

"I don't care, Bruce." Deputy Haskew said. "You need to take it back." The Deputy handed him a piece of paper and gave him a look that told him what he said was final.

"Fine." The man stormed out.

"Deputy, who was that?" Mulder asked as he walked to the front desk.

"Bruce Ochman. Why?"

"You think he might know anything?"

"Bruce is… he ain't right. He wouldn't know anything Agent Mulder."

"Right." He sighed then walked back to Scully waiting by the door.

XxXxX

The drive to the hotel was silent as they both tried to figure the case out. It seemed liked the minute they had gotten back the frantic knocking at the door was there. Mulder quickly answer it and saw a deputy there.

"A-agent Mulder? I'm Deputy Otis Short." He stuttered. "Sir… Mr. Stiles… he's been murdered."

"What? How?"

"We don't know, sir. Just got a call that the man in the house next door heard gunshots."

"Jeez…. My partner and I will be there as soon as we can." He quickly grabbed his coat and went to his partners room. "Scully! Open up!" The door opened to his concerned looking partner.

"What's wrong, Mulder?"

"Mr. Stiles has been murdered."

"What?"

"Yeah. I think someone knew that he knew and they killed him to cover it up." He set his hands on his hips. "Damn it! This isn't making any sense."

"We better go see what's going on."

XxXxX

Her partner was mad, she knew, but there wasn't a lot she could do about it. Hell… she was irritated herself with all this going on. The police had taped off the house with DO NOT CROSS tape.  
>Mulder slowly walked through the door and looked around at the furniture all turned over and blood all over the floor and walls. He saw Deputy Short standing near the body with a camera taking pictures. Scully had gone to looked at the body.<p>

"Deputy Short," He asked and the deputy paused to looked at him. "Was there anything to indicate forced entry?"

"Uh… I don't think so, sir." He turned to sheriff Crawly. "Sir, Agents Mulder and Scully are here."  
>The sheriff stopped talking to the two deputies and waved them off as he walked over to stand next to Deputy Short.<p>

"Agent Mulder, you need somethin'?"

"Yeah. Was there forced entry?"

"Nope. Not that I saw."

Scully had just came back from investigating the body and stood next to her partner.

"What are you thinking?" She asked as she looked up at him.

"Sheriff said there was no forced entry. That means it had to be someone he trusted." Mulder said slowly.

"I don't think it was the same killer. This was too messy. The others were all precise."

"Uh-huh." She watched the look on his face change as he put the pieces together. "Scully… I know who did. It had to be someone he trusted for him to  
>open the door."<p>

"His lawyer?"

"No… Deputy Haskew."

"What? How?" Scully asked.

"He's working with the killer."

"Why?"

"Most killers are obsessed with police work anyway. I saw him give that big guy a paper. I don't know what it was, but something wasn't right."

"Wait just a minute Agent Mulder. Haskew is a good cop." Sheriff Crawly cut in.

"I think he's been playing you the whole time sheriff." Mulder said.

"He couldn't have done it!"

"Where is he now? Do you know?"

"I…" The sheriff trailed off. "My God… you're right. But why?"

"Why does anyone do the things they do? I don't know… maybe he wanted to know what the bad life was like."

"Come on. This is going to stop." Sheriff Crawly said coldly. They followed him to the police station, by now the snow was a thick white sheet on the ground and on roof tops. They pulled up to the station and the sheriff stopped his heavy duty vehicle and got out. They were about to followed him when Mulder saw Bruce Ochman walking out.

The man looked behind him and then he noticed the agent staring at him.

"Mr. Ochman, stop right there!" Mulder yelled. Ochman took off running and Mulder went after him. Sheriff Crawly took up the chase right behind him. Ochman drew a gun and fired behind him. Mulder ducked behind the side of the building and drew his own gun and the sheriff did the same on the opposite side of him. Scully was right behind him.

By the time he turned to go down the alleyway Ochman had gotten in his truck and driven away. The sheriff called for backup and they quickly went into the station.  
>The place was torn apart and Deputy Haskew was dead on his desk with a knife in his chest.<p>

"No! That monster killed him!" Sheriff Crawly cried. Mulder looked out the window at the mountain in the distance.

"Sheriff… Do you know anyone who can take us up there?" He asked and pointed out the window.

"If it means stopping this SOB then, yeah. I do." The sheriff grabbed a phone book. "His name's Nick Sucharski. Some crazy Russian who goes up there all the time looking for some yeti."

XxXxX

"So you want to go up to the mountain? I can take you." Nick said as he looked at Mulder. "But be warned. It's dangerous if you've never gone before."

"I've done things more dangerous then this trust me."

"Alright then. Pack some very warm clothes." Nick said and began loading up his jeep with supplies.

XxXxX

TBC...


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own!

XxXxX 

They went as far as they could in the jeep and then began a very long journey. It was getting dark though and they had to set up camp before night fall. a low growling howl filled the air in the distance somewhere.

"You hear that? That is the yeti. He lives out here. On this mountain." Nick said as he threw a twig into the fire.

"Have you seen it?" Mulder asked with an enthusiasm in his voice that Scully knew all too well.

"My friend," Nick smiled. "I've seen him. He stands eight feet tall. That's him howling out there."  
>Scully rolled her eyes and got up.<p>

"I'm going to get some sleep." She said not wanting to hear them going on about all their nonsense.  
>A little while Mulder came into the tent and sat down besides her.<p>

"You know… I think I like this guy." He smiled.

"Mulder, go to sleep."

"I can't. I'm too wired." He looked down at her. Then laid back and stared up at the top of the tent.

Nick woke them up bright and early and they were already headed to their next destination. Nick had climbed up first along with his men right behind him.

"The ice is good!" Nick yelled from above them. Scully caught the grin on her partner's face.

"Mulder," she said annoyed. "before you suggest ladies first… Remember I said you first, first."

"Scully… I was never going to suggest that, but since you volunteered…" she glared at him. "Don't worry I'm going up first. It was my idea." she could tell by the tone of his voice he didn't think this was a good idea either.  
>She watched her partner stick his ice ax into the ice and press his boot into the ice and start to climb.<br>This is a bad idea. She thought as she followed Mulder.

"Very good! You are almost there. Keep coming comrades." Nick said. Then the ice that Scully had hit had shattered and she was falling. Mulder slid down and caught her hand and quickly caught his ice ax in the ice once he was sure he had her.

"Got ya'." He said looking down at his partner. She looked up and met his eyes in a silent 'thanks' then looked down again. It was a long way down and Scully couldn't see the bottom through the tick mountain fog. There was a sharp cracking sound and Mulder gasped and looked up at where he'd stuck his ice ax and saw the ice was cracking. He had to think fast. The ice broke and they were falling again. Mulder hoped that Nick had secured the cable line, but the most likely thought was he hadn't.

"Agents!" Nick yelled, but got no reply. Nick turned to face the other two men that were with him. They had horrified looks on their faces. "Quickly! We must do something!"

The rope snapped tightly and jerked and he heard something pop loudly. Nick had secured the cable line. He exhaled in relief.

"Scully… you alright?"

"Yeah." Looking down she noticed the ground was only a few feet down.

"Scully? Can you hold on?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Because my shoulder is dislocated."

"Are you sure?"

"Oh, yeah." He swallowed. "I felt it when the rope tightened."

"Mulder… it's not that far down. You can let go."

"Are you sure?" He asked looking down.

"Yeah. Let go." He dropped her and she managed to land on her feet. He unclipped the cable and dropped. He gasped as he landed on his shoulder.

"Hold on, Mulder." She said and helped him sit up. He winced at he got up. It was starting to snow worse now.

"We've got to get out of the storm. You think, Nick knows we're alive?"

"He should."  
>There was a snow covered cave in the side of the mountain and they stood outside, staring at it for awhile.<p>

"Think there are any bats in there, Scully?" He asked as they crept towards it. It was the only place to stay for now. "You think you can pop it back into place?"

"I can, but it'll hurt like you wouldn't believe."

"Just do it."

"Mul-"

"Do it." She gripped his shoulder and pushed up and back and heard it crack and pop back into place. He doubled over and gritted his teeth.

"I know. I'm sorry. I really wish I had something to give you for the pain."

"It's alright. I've had worse." They sat in silence for awhile listening to the wind.

"I wonder if this could be it's nest."

"What's nest?"

"The yeti." He said and she smiled. "What?"

"Nothing. You're just always thinking."

"I like to keep my mind open."

"Any wider and your brain will fall out."

"Wouldn't want that." And then there was more silence.

After an hour of sitting in the freezing cold the snow had stopped. They needed to get out of there and find Nick. On the way out there was a truck that stopped. The driver got out and looked at them.

"Looks like you two could use some help." The man said as he noticed Mulder leaning on his partner. "Get in. I'll take ya'll to my place and get ya' warmed up."  
>They didn't have much choice. They were lost, so they had to go with him.<br>The man had an old cabin out in the hills he helped them inside and made them some hot tea.

"Thanks for the help Mr…?" Mulder trailed.

"Sundlo, John Sundlo, sir." The man said from the chair across the room.

"Right." Mulder said, his arm was still sore and when he went to pick up his cup he dropped it and spilled it all over his pants. It was _very _hot tea.

"Oh, let me get you a towel." John said as he quickly got up and ran to the kitchen.

"Damn." He swore and looked inside the cup. "What the hell…" He tilted it forward, seeing the powdery substance in the bottom. Scully was just about to drink hers, but he grabbed her wrist and she looked at him quickly. "Wait, Scully… something's not right here."

"What?"

"Look." He said and handed her the cup, then stood up. He opened the basement door and looked down into the soft glow of a lantern.

"Mulder…" She said wearily as she knew he was going to get himself into trouble again. "Don't go down there."

"Shh." He looked behind him to make sure the man hadn't come back then took a few steps down the stairs.

"Mulder." She scolded and got up from the couch and grabbed his arm. He shrugged it off and went down the stairs quickly. Once he was down he froze and to his right was a table with a bloody sheet covering what he knew had to be a body.  
>There was a footstep behind him and he jumped back and just avoided the ax that came at him. He drew his gun.<p>

"Bruce Ochman, stop right there." He knew damn well he couldn't shoot straight with his left hand since his right shoulder had gone out. He was right handed, not left.

There was a deep growling sound and the man's approached was halted as he turned towards the sound, he gripped his ax tighter.  
>Then a huge white blur sprung from the shadows and knocked Ochman back with a stream of blood.<br>Mulder had been standing too close and the beast's paw hit him in the chest and knocked him back. He hit his head on the table then looked up through blurry vision and saw the white blur pounce out the cellar door that lead outside with a howl.

"Mulder!" He heard his partner yelled and then a gunshot. He gasped and blinked off the blurriness and stood and tried to get upstairs, but failed as he fell onto the ground and blacked out.

"Mulder? Mulder, get up." He heard his partner and then gasped as he jerked awake. He saw some police there and the sheriff and Scully kneeling next to him.

"Scully? Are you alright?"

"Fine." She told him as he stood slowly. He looked around the basement. He saw the food and water bowl.

"It was here, Scully."

"Mulder…"

"Look. This is why he was killing. To feed it, but the only thing was it didn't like being locked up very much."

"It doesn't make sense."

"It does. Mrs. Beehag's vehicle broke down after she picked her daughter up from school that morning. Bruce has a tow truck. That's his job."

"Mulder-

"And also, Mr. Beehag said that his daughter never did drugs. That's why, because Bruce Ochman put the knock out drugs in the daughter's tea. Think about it. It's cold out here. She'd want something to warm her up. Mrs. Beehag hadn't had any though. She wasn't a tea drinker. That's why there was nothing in her blood.  
>"then he brought them up here to be Yeti food. Then they dropped them off out in the woods again to look like something else. something it wasn't."<p>

"This was murder plain and simple."

"I agree with you there, but he was doing it to feed his pet. He was experimenting on it."

"Come on, Agents. We ought to get you two out of here." The sheriff interrupted. "I'll go get the jeep started and wait."

"Scully, what happened to Sundlo?" Mulder asked quickly.

"He had a knife. I had to shoot him."

"Right." He sighed. "I know you had no choice. I just wish we had more answers." He said as they slowly headed outside. He pause by the front door and looked up towards the top of the mountain.

"Mulder, you coming?"

"Yeah…" He looked over at the jeep and saw Nick talking to Crawly. "We'll never know, Scully. It's out there, but we'll never be able to find it now."

"Mulder, it's not real."

"Then what killed Ochman? What if it is?" He asked and waited for her answer as she sighed and looked at the place on the mountain he was looking.

"Then… I guess we'll never know." She walked to the jeep and he stared out for a few more minutes before he exhaled a puff of cold air and walked to the jeep. He got in the back besides his partner and the sheriff started the long drive home.

Out in the distance a shadow of white howled out on top of the hill and the sound echoed far along the snowy planes.

XxXxX

Washington D.C  
>FBI HQ<br>11:47 Pm

Mulder looked up as his partner walked in and set her brife case on the chair next to the door and she sighed and fell into the other chair besides it.

"Guess you know Skinner grounded us, huh?"

"Grounded? Mulder, he suspended us for two weeks. Without pay. I'm in this as deep as you are." She complained and he shrugged as he bit into a sunflower seed.

"What can I say? Misery love company."

"Only when it comes to you and I." She answered with a small smile. He shrugged again and put his feet up on his desk and stared at the pencil covered ceiling.

"You know my shoulder still kinda hurts."

"Mulder…"

"What?" He asked. He received no answer but a shake of the head and a weird look. After a few moments silence. "No, really what?"

"Like you said, misery love company."

"Only when it comes to you and me."

XxXxX

END

Thanks for reading, leave a review and God Bless!


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